New mod unlocks 720p recording ability for Google Nexus 7

ADVERTISEMENT

The Nexus 7 may have some pretty serious competition with the newly announced Kindle Fire HD, but that doesn’t mean sales for the device are going to slow down anytime soon.

A direct comparison between the Fire HD and Nexus 7 has Google’s tablet leading the pack in features. There is one area where Nexus 7 doesn’t shine its brightest, though: its camera.

The Nexus 7’s 1.2MP front-facing camera is good enough for most uses, as long as 720p video recording isn’t on the agenda. Out of the box, the Nexus 7 is restricted to a recording limit of 480p. As it turns out, this actually isn’t a limitation of the hardware.

If it’s not a hardware issue for video capture, what’s the problem?

Apparently, Google did not include a 720p recording profile for the device. This is a software issue, and something that could eventually be fixed by Google through an official patch.

Those who don’t want to wait can make their way over to the XDA Developers now, where the geniuses at the forum have provided the instructions needed to add 720p recording to their Nexus 7.

Essentially, all you are doing is adding the 720p profile to your device, which will unlock it. While the improvement is noticeable, it’s still far from a high-end camera.

Check out the videos below to see two different Nexus 7 recordings, one in 480p and the other in 720p.